George Carlin | WHAT AM I DOING IN NEW JERSEY | CD

Solo performer: George Carlin (spoken vocals).What Am I Doing in New Jersey was recorded in 1988, so naturally it tackles some of the events of the late Reagan administration. George Carlin sums up his essence on the track "Reagan's Gang, Church People, and American Values": "I'm the first to say its a great country, but its a strange culture!" He rants about preventative detainment, censorship, and the paradoxes of the Right to Life movement -- all of which is biting, but not very funny. Then, about seven minutes in, he gets started. Carlin protects no sacred cows, and quickly moves through cracks on bulimia, banning artificial sweeteners but not tobacco ("because a rat died!"), and other peculiar American quirks. George Carlin is at his best when assailing a culture that prioritizes corporate interests over the public good (for example, gun store owners getting lists of bad creditors but not convicted criminals) and consistently misuses the English language (the word civil in "Civil